Contact roll wiper



E. A. FVORD 2,228,305

CONTACT ROLL WIPER Jan. 14, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 14, 1938 FIG. I.

Insulation HQVENTOR EUGENE A. FORD BY 9w. ZW

ATTO RN EY Jan. 14, 1941. E. A. FORD 2,228,305

CONTACT ROLL WIPER Filed Oct. 14, 19158 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

' INVENTOR C EUGENE A. FORD w KW ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITEDSTATES CONTACT ROLL WIPER Eugene A. Ford, Scarsdale, N. Y., assignor toInternational Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application October 14, 1938, Serial No. 234,885

3 Claims.

invention pertains to analyzing means for analyzing record cards or thelike to control accounting or printing apparatus.

In mechanical accounting systems data are re- 6 corded on record cardsby perforating columns of the record cards in accordance with a selectedcode to designate'the various data. These record cards are then sentthrough an analyzing means which sensesthe perforations and controls ap-10 paratus 'in accordancewith'the data represented y theperfora'tions.The present invention is particularly concerned with an electricalanalyzing means which analyzes the record cards while in motion. Theelectrical analyzing means comprises wire brushes which wipe the surfaceof the. card during movement of the latter and upon encountering aperforation in the card engage through the perforation with a commoncontactroll, causing an analyzing circuit to be 29 established. Duringthe passage of the card between the analyzing brushes and the contactroll the analyzing brushes tend to remove fuzz from the surface of thecard and this fuzz tends to accumulate on the surface of the contactroll. In addition, grit and other'dirt may accumulate on the'contactroll; the dirt, grit and fuzz tends to interfere with the proper feed ofthe record card and the proper analysis of the latter.

Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to providenovel means for cleaning the surface of the contact roll dun'ng analysisof the record cards.

It is a further object to provide such a cleaning means as will alsoserve to conduct current from the contact roll.

More specifically, it is intended to provide a rotary cleaning brushhaving spirally arranged bristles for progressively engaging the contact40 roll along its length so as to wipe the entire peripheral area of thecontact roll during rotation of the latter, the progressive sweep of thecleaning brushalong the length of the contact roll effecting engagementof only one circular portion 45 of the contact roll at one time so as tominimize the friction between the brush and the contact roll.

It is a further object of the invention'to provide means for adjustingthe pressure of the 50 cleaning brushes against the contact roll.

Further objects of the instant invention reside in any novel feature ofconstruction or operation or novel combination of parts present in theembodiment of the invention described and shown 55 in the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the feeding, analyzing, andprinting means of the k machine.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the drive for the clean- [5 ing brush;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially along lines 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the cleaning brush;10

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of the analyzing means; and

Fig. 6 is a detail front view of a portion of the cleaning brushassembly.

While the invention is of general application 15 to record sheet or cardfeeding means and to statistical card or sheet analyzing means, it ispreferred for the purposes of the disclosure to explain and illustratethe invention in connection with an electrical analyzing means for angoalyzing the cards while in motion. Particularly, the invention is shownin connection with the analyzing and printing means of the machinedisclosed in Patent No. 2,076,713.

Referring to Fig. l, a stack of record cards I to be analyzed is placedin a supply hopper iii. The cards are fed one at a time from the supplyhopper by means comprising a picker knife Ii carried by a slide I! whichhas a swivel con--' nection to a rocker arm I3. Rocker arm I3 is 30oscillated by a link connection H from a crank arm I5 of a shaft it.Each revolution of shaft l8 efiects a reciprocation of arm i3 andconnected slide I! to cause the picker knife ii during its forwardstroke to feed the bottom card 35 out of the supply hopper ill and intothe grip of a pair of continuously rotating feed rolls ii. The feedrolls ll continue to feed the card through suitable guideways andbetween a feed roll is and the contact roll 20. During its travelbetween feed rolls l1 and the feed roll ll, the card moves over one armof a card lever I! to close card lever contacts 50, the closure of whichis necessary to enable analyzing circuits to form as will be brought outlater. As the forward edge of the card passes feed roll it, it movesbetween the surface of the contact roll 20 and an upper guide and shieldplate 2| which constrains the card to follow the upper quadrant of theperiphery of the contact roll. A lower guide shield 12, the upper edgeof which is spaced from the lower edge of upper guide plate 2|,continues to guide the card around the contact roll and into the grip ofa pair of eject rolls 23 which eject the card to a delivery hopper 24.g.

parts carried thereby from the shaft 39.

the analyzing circuits which result from sensing of the perforations ofa card column, print magnets 28 are energized to control the setting ofa type bar 21 thereby locating one of the type elements 28 of the typebar in printing position. This printing position is opposite the gapleft between the guide shields 2i and 22. After analysis of the recordcard, an imprint is made on the record card itself by the type elementin printing position, this imprint interpreting or giving a conventionalindication of the analyzed perforations. The printing operation iseffected by a plunger 29 carried by a slide 38 which is actuated onceeach cycle by a. cam 3| carried by a shaft 32. The slide 38 ispositively retracted by a bell crank lever 33 oscillated each cycle by acam depression 34.

Shaft 32 carries a pulley 36 which through a belt 31 drives a pulley 38loosely mounted on a shaft 39.

Shaft 39 carries a gear 48 meshed with a gear 4|, of insulatingmaterial, fixed to a shaft 42. Shaft 42 is rotatably carried at oppositeends by the lower ends of dependent arms 43, the upper ends of which arefixed to shaft 39. The bearings for shaft 42 include outer collars 43 ofinsulating material which serve to insulate the shaft from the arms 43.The gear 4|, also being of insulating material, insulates shaft 42 andthe The purpose of thus insulating shaft 42 is to enable the cleaningbrushes 48 carried thereby to serve as conductors for connecting thecontact roll 20 into the analyzing circuits, as will be describedfurther on.

Fixed to a central portion of shaft 38 is a dependent arm 43a to thelower end of which is connected one end of a coil spring 43b, theopposite end of which is connected to the frame standard F. Threadedinto frame F is a screw 43c, the forward end of which abuts the back ofdependent arm 43a. The screw 430 may be ad- Justed to change the angularposition of arm 43a thereby changing the angular position of shaft 38and of arms 43 which carry shaft 42. The screw 43c is maintained in anadjusted position by a lock nut 43d. The spring 43b serves to maintainarm 43a firmly against the forward end of screw 43c. The purpose of thean ar adjustment of arm 43a is to bring the shaft 42 closer or furtherfrom the contact roll 28 thereby providing for greater or less pressureof the cleaning brushes 48 carried by the shaft against the peripheralsurface of the contact roll. Shaft 42 is knurled, as indicated in. Fig.6, and carries a plurality of duplicate metal rings 44 spaced apart bywashers 45. Each ring is formed at diametrically opposite sides withtangentially directed clips 44 each of which rigidly anchors one end ofa conductive, cleaning brush 48, each brush being made up of a pluralityof wire bristles located side by side and engaging the inner fiat sideof the clip 44', so that the unanchored length of the brush isrestrained from moving outwardly of the clip. Each brush 48 extends ina. tangential direction and is free to flex inwardly towards the shaft42. ,The knurls of shaft 42 tend to prevent rotation of the rings 44 andwashers 45 relative to the shaft, but in order to maintain theseelements more positively against rotative displacement, collars 41 and48 are secured to the shaft 42, as indicated in Fig. 3, to straddle theassembly of rings and washers. The collars 41 and 48 are adjusted toclamp the rings and washers closely together so as to prevent theirrotative displacement with respect to the shaft.

The ring elements 44 and brushes 48 are duplicate elements, but offsetaround the shaft 42 so as to provide four spirally arranged rows ofbrushes 48, which may be distinguished as rows A, B, C, and D. Thespiral arrangement is obtained as follows: Each ring 44 is set on shaft42 so that its pair of diametrically opposite brushes 48 is displacedclockwise relative to the pair of corresponding brushes of the ringdirectly below, as viewed in Fig. 3. Further, each alternate ring 44 isset on shaft 42 so that its pair of brushes are slightly displacedclockwise relative to the pair of brushes of the preceding alternatering, also below as viewed in Fig. 3. Thus, one alternate set of rings44 is set so that its brushes form two diametrically opposite spiralrows A and C of brushes 48 and the intermediate, alternate set of rings44 is set so their brushes provide the intermediate diametrically,opposite spiral rows B and D of brushes. The extent of displacement ofthe adjacent brushes of a row A,

B, C, or D is such that a clockwise angle (as viewed in Fig. 4) ofslightly less than 90 is provided between the first brush of the row andthe last.

The movement of the cleaning brushes is as follows, assuming the firstbrush of a row A is engaging the contact roll 20. An increment ofcounterclockwise rotation (as viewed in Fig. 1) of shaft 42 brings thefirst brush A below and out of engagement with the contact roll 20 andbrings the next brush of row A into engagement with.

an axially spaced portion of the contact roll. Successive increments ofsuch rotation, successively bring the spaced brushes of row A intoengagement with the confronting portions of the contact roll, so that atthe end of slightly less than 90 of rotation, the last brush of row A isengaged with the contact roll. Thus, row A has swept progressively alongspaced portions of the width of the contact roll facing the brushes ofrow A. The next increment of rotation brings the first brush of row Binto engagement with the contact roll and at the end of nearly 90 ofsuch rotation the last brush of row B engages the contact roll. Thebrushes of row B thus progressively sweep along spaced portions of thewidth of the contact roll facing the brushes of row B. Since the brushesof row B are displaced axially relative to the brushes of row A, row Bwill sweep portions of the width of the contact roll intermediate theportions of the width swept by row A. A ter the last brush of row B hasswept the contact roll, the first brush of row C engages the contactroll. 90 further rotation, the last brush of row 0 engages the contactroll. The next increment of rotation carries the first brush of row Dinto engagement with the contact roll. After nearly 90' of rotation, thelast brush of row D engages the contact roll. The next increment ofrotation brings the first brush of row A again into engagement with thecontact roll, completing the circult of action of brushes 48 of rows A,B, C, and D. The brushes of row C wipe portions "along At the end ofnearly.

the width of the contact roll circumferentially alined with the portionswiped by brushes A, and likewise the wiping action of the brushes ofrows B and D is along circumferentially alined por-.

tions of the contact roll. It may be understood from the aboveexplanation, assuming the first of row C is engaged with the contactroll. At

the end of the third 90 of rotation, the first brush of row D is broughtinto engagement, and at the. end of the fourth 90 of rotation, or acomplete 360 of rotation of shaft 42, the first brush of row A again isengaged with the contact roll. The same circuit is effected for thesecond, third, and so on, brushes of rows A, B, C, and D. The brushes ofrows A B, C and D thus sweep the contact roll during rotation of thelatter, bare of fuzz, grit, and dirt.

The contact roll 20 is positively driven counterclockwise (as viewed inFig. l) bymeans not shown here but described in aforementioned PatentNo. 2,076,713. The cleaning brush device is also positively drivencounterclockwise (as viewed in Fig. 1) by shaft 32, through pulley 36,belt 31, pulley 38, and gears 40 and 4|. Consequently, the portion ofthe cleaning device en gaged with an area of the contact roll is movingin a direction tangentially opposite to the direction of movement of theengaged ,area of the contact roll. As a result, the cleaning brushes 46throw the fuzz, dirt, and grit positively away from the contact roll, aswell as from the cleaning brushes. Were the cleaning brushes and thecontact roll to move in opposite rotational directions, that is, werethe'cleaning device to rotate clockwise and the contact rollcounterclockwise, the engaging portions of the cleaning device andcontact roll would move in the same linear direction and the cleaningbrushes would not tend to throw the fuzz and dirt or grit away from thecontact roll. As a further consequence, the fuzz, dirt, and grit removedfrom the contact roll would tend to acculate on the upper surfaces ofthe cleaning bristles or strands. Thus, the advantages of positivelyrotating the cleaning device in a direction such that the engagingportions of the cleaning device and the contact roll move in oppositelinear directions, are that the brushes 46 sweep the fuzz, grit, anddirt away from the periphery of the contact roll and also away from thecleaning brushes. The progressive sweep of the cleaning brushes acrossthe contact r011 provides for engagement of only a portion of thecontact roll at a time, so that the frictional resistance to rotation ofthe contact roll is held to a minimum. Further, the brushes 46 areadjusted into proper engagement with the contact roll by adjustment ofshaft 42 to or from the contact roll, this adjustment being effected byadjusting screw 430, as previously explained.

In addition to brushes 46 acting to clean the contact roll, they alsoserve to conductively connect the contact roll into the analyzingcircuit, as may be understood from Figs. 3 and 5. Any suitable means maybe provided to carry current to the brushes 46. One such simple means isshown in Fig.3 as comprising a conductive brush 4'! wiping collar 41which is fast to shaft 42 carrying the brush holders 44, the threelatterelements being of conductive material. Thus, upon an analyzing elementengaging. through a perforation in the card, with the contact roll, ananalyzing circuit is formed as follows (Fig. 5):

Analyzing circuit.--From the left side of the line, through card levercontacts 50, the timing commutator TC, brush 41', the brush 46 engagedwith the contact roll 20, through the contact roll, analyzing element25, a plug connector 5|, print magnet 26, and to the opposite side ofthe line.

A combination of such circuits, as described in Patent No. 2,076,713energizes magnets 26 to position a type element 28 for printing on thecard after its analysis. The printing is effected in the mannerpreviously explained.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the invention as appied to a single modification itwill be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changesin the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operationmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limitedonly as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: v

-1. In a machine for operating on records bearing designations; thecombination of electrical analyzing means for analyzing thedesignations,said analyzing means including a rotatable contact roll, over which therecords travel during their analysis and a device engaging the contactroll for conducting current thereto, said device comprising a spiral rowof'conductive cleaning brushes extending along the width of the contactroll, and means for rotating said device to progressively sweep thebrushes across the width of the contact roll, whereby the brushes serveto conduct current to the contact roll and also to clean the contactroll during rotation of the latter and of the device.

2. In a machine of the class described; a cleaning brush for a contactroll, comprising a shaft parallel to the contact roll, and a rin carriedby the shaft and formed with diametrically opposite clip portions, 9.brush anchored at one end to each clip portion to extend in a tangentialdirection opposite to the tangential direction in which the brushanchored to the other clip extends, and means for rotating said shaft towipe the brushes in succession across the periphery of the contact roll.

3. A device for cleaning a rotatable contact roll comprising a pluralityof cleaning brushes,

a shaft carrying the latter, means for rotating said shaft to wipethe-brushes across the periphery of the contact roll to clean thelatter, bail arms carrying the shaft, a rockable bail rod rigidlycarrying the arms, and means for rocking the arms to bring the shaftcloser or further from the contact roll so 'as to regulate the pressureof the cleaning brushes against the contact roll comprising a memberrigidly extending from the bail rod, an adjusting screw abutting saidmember and adjustable to rock the bail rod, arms, and shaft positivelytowards the contact roll, and a. spring connected to said member forholding the latter against the adjusting screw.

EUGENE A. FORD-

